Chapter 6: The Deer in Fairy Tales

Between the pages of winter, Mother Deer raised her horns, and the doorway to the stars hinged open.

In episode 6 of the Pointy Hat Press Podcast, Kristin Lisenby & Caitlyn Barone discuss deer folklore, antlered crowns, and the wonderings that inspired their Little Witch Tale, The Deer Mother. They contemplate reindeer, horns, and hoofed women like the Cailleach, Frau Holle, and Artemis.

Mentioned in this episode:
Little Witch Tales: The Deer Mother
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, Leslye Walton
Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg
The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo
Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
The Raven & the Reindeer, T. Kingfisher
Traditional Witchcraft: a Cornish Book of Ways, Gemma Gary
Barbara G. Walker
Old Mother Frost, Brothers Grimm, Children's and Household Tales, 1812
"Midwinter Magick: The Cailleach and the Cold Moon"
"Artemis, Fairy Cattle, & the Magick of July"
“The Enchanted Caribou,” Inuit folktale
“The Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking Bird, ” Sicilian fairy tale

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Join the Pointy Hat Press Literary Coven on Substack and receive a key to our digital garden of folklore, enchanted artwork, and spells for the literary witch! Coven members will also be privy to book-related updates, new releases, and tips on submitting their work for publication.

Buy our Books!
Little Witch Tales: Telling the Bees is an illustrated fairy tale about a little witch, a curious invitation, and a sticky, springtime tradition.

Little Witch Hosts Samhain Supper is an illustrated bedtime story about autumn, ancestral magick, and the Season of the Witch.

You can also explore our library of *digital* tales, including the story that inspired our previous conversation, The Deer Mother. Digital stories that receive the most love might find their way into future books…

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The Pointy Hat Press podcast was created by Kristin Lisenby & Caitlyn Barone, and is produced by Julio Montero. Manuscript submissions are currently closed, but you can follow the PHP Literary Coven on Substack, or at @pointyhatpress and @littlewitchbooks. For wholesale inquiries, please contact [email protected].